Giving thanks

I found Christo and Dora today hanging out together in Tompkins Square right above the tables where volunteers were serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless.



While Christo contentedly preened, Dora took off to go grab a snack.



I noticed something about her this year - she doesn't have any speckling on her leg feathers, or else the markings are very faint.



You can also see here her legs are a smooth solid color.



For comparison, you can clearly see brown markings on Christo's legs (this was taken last May).



Here he is today after catching as mouse. 



The pair stuck close together all day, flying round the park, each taking turns hunting.  At the end of the day, they took a long break atop St Nicholas of Myra on Avenue A and 10th Street.  I watched them until it got dark.  Christo eventually flew off ot the west and Dora to the north, to parts unknown...



See more hawk photos on my Flickr page.

Previous hawk posts.

Back in the spotlight

In my previous hawk post, I accused Christo of hogging the spotlight.  He's in and around Tompkins Square so often, it's almost impossible to not encounter him.  Dora is more mysterious and tends to keep more distance between us, so I was really happy last Saturday to catch her spending some time in the park.

I first saw her atop the Christodora apartment building on Avenue B and 9th Street.



This is, of course, where the hawk pair had their nest last spring and the building for which they were named.  Almost exactly a year ago (November 29, 2013), I took my first photo (below) of the pair atop the building as they scouted out the neighborhood.  It would be another month or so before they claimed the park as their territory.


Christo on the left, Dora on the right.

 Dora took off from the rooftop and headed east, returning a short time later with a pigeon.



Then she did something I've never seen her do.  She flew all around the park with the pigeon as if she were looking for someone.  She started in a tree along Avenue B, then went to the popular feeding tree near the temperance fountain, to the big tree in the middle of the lawn, then over to this fire escape on Avenue B and 7th Street.



She didn't call out and I lost track of her around E 8th Street, so I don't know if she ate the pigeon, stashed it, or gave it to someone else.  As far as I know, Christo and Dora's offspring are all gone, but I have seen the two of them flying around with a juvenile recently.  This photo is from November 14, with the juvenile on the left.



It doesn't seem likely Dora would be feeding a juvenile hawk at this time, so I am just speculating.

Meanwhile, plenty of other action has been taking place in the skies over the area.  On November 16, I caught both hawks engaging a kestrel over the Most Holy Redeemer church on 3rd Street and Avenue A.  Dora sat on the cross while Christo flew round and round the dome with the kestrel.  I tried getting a photo, but I was so far away, the kestrel came out as a blur.  This photo was taken at the same time with a plane substituting for the kestrel.  That's Christo flying and Dora is on the cross.



And I just can't resist posting a couple more photos of Christo because...well, he makes it so easy.



Spotlight!



See more hawk photos on my Flickr page.

Dinnertime at Odessa.

Afternoon with Christo

I admit it.  I'm in love with this bird.

But who can possibly resist his charm?



Christo is always diving straight at my camera so I can't focus on him. I'm convinced he does this on purpose.



Just when it looks like he's coming after me...



...he captures his true target, a big juicy rat.



Mmm!





After lunch, there's time for a little rest in the late afternoon sun.



Break over, it's off to patrol the park.

 

Where's Dora?  She's definitely around.  I see the pair together most of the time, but Christo always manages to hog the spotlight.

See more photos here.

Previously.

Christo after dark

Last Friday, about a half hour after sunset, I caught Christo hunting in Tompkins Square for a late supper.

People were totally oblivious to him lurking in the dark near 7th Street and Avenue A.



After about five minutes, he dove down to catch a rat behind a bench.



You can just make out the rat in his right talon.



I have to post a photo every time of any hawk that flies past the Joe Strummer mural...the rat still clings to a leaf.



This guy looked up when the rat screamed as it sailed past him.



And it kept on screaming...



...all the way over to a tree near the St Mark's entrance, where dinner was served.



See more photos here.

Previously.

Fall fashion

I caught up with Christo in Tompkins Square on a colorful autumn afternoon.

His plumage looks great against the fall foliage.















See more photos here, here, here and here.

Previously.

Taedium vitae

They sicken of the calm who know the storm. -- Dorothy Parker

Tompkins Square hawk update

Now that the sun sets in late afternoon, I'm unable to get to Tompkins Square to play with the hawks before nightfall.  My time with them is now restricted to weekends and days off work.  What ever did I do with myself before I met these birds?  Ah, that's right!

Anyway, I did manage to catch some hawk action in the park this last weekend.  On Friday, a fellow hawk-watcher spotted a juvenile Cooper's hawk sitting in a tree near the Avenue A playground.  Just as we were getting a good look at it, one of the red-tails (not sure if it was Christo or Dora) swooped in and chased the young hawk off its perch.  Both hawks headed to the Avenue B side of the park, so we followed them over there only to find an adult Cooper's sitting calmly near the 8th Street entrance.



After a while, both Christo and Dora flew around and chased the adult Cooper's away. 

On Sunday, there was an unexpected visitor flying over St Brigid's on Avenue B & St Marks...a red-shouldered hawk.



The winds that day were really strong, so the hawks did a lot of soaring over the park.  Here's Christo doing a low fly-by...



...sizing up some dinner...



...and calling for Dora.



Dora came down into the park briefly before taking off again.



And the big surprise of the day was...a turkey vulture!



In other hawk-related news, Roger_Paw has an interesting post this week on the [non] use of rat poison in Washington Square.  I'm wondering if the same snap traps will be used in Tompkins Square as Christo and Dora are definitely living here now and could have plans to re-use their nest on the Christodora building.

Previously.

This evening on Great Jones

See more photos of Great Jones Street here.

Friday in Tompkins Square